Almon j



A. l. PIERCE.

SHEET METAL CAP FOR JOURNAL BOXES.

APPLLCATION FILED MAY 15. 1920.

` 1,367,427.. Patented Feb. 1.1921.

im E" lllllllm JM. CZMM/QJO'MUL, 44%.

UNITED STATES PATENT 0FFICE.

ALMON J. PIRROEQOF BROOKLYN, New YORK, AssrGNoR rro HYATT ROLLER BEARING COMPANY, or HARRISON, NRW JERSEY, A 'CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY..

SHEET-METAL CAP FOR JOURNAL-BOXES.

Application filed. May 15, 1920. Serial NO. 381,585.

To all whom it may concer/n:

Be it known that l, ALMON J. Pinnen, a citizen of the United States, residing at 19% Lincoln avenue, Brooklymcounty of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmpiovements yin Sheet- Metal Caps for Journahoxes, fully described and represented in the following specilication and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the saine.

The present invention relates to an improvement in journal-boxes, particularly those containing a set of anti-friction rolls to Support a countershaft; and the object' of the invention is to furnish a cheap and effective closure for the end ofthe journalbox formed of a circular sheetiiietal cap in form bore extended to its outer end, such place of the cast-metal cap which is 'ordinarily secured upon such boxes by means of tap-bolts. y

There anti-friction rolls are employed, the bore of the box is materially larger than the diameter of the shaft supported therein, and the cap must necessarily close the end of the chamber in which the rolls are supported.

The closure in the present invention conists of a plate of sheet-metal having a cylindrical flange bent laterally upon its periphery and adapted to crowd into the bore or chamber at the kend of the journal-box. To receive the can, the chamber has a uniing surface for the ends of the rolls or their cage within the box.

Vhere a cast-iron box is lined with sheet- ,steel to support the rolls, the periphery of the cap may be made ofthe same diameter asthe exterior of the lining so that a single bore is adapted to lit the lining and the cap.

The invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawing, in which Figure l is a longitudinal central section of a journal-box with -thecap imperforate; Fig. 2 is a similar section showing the end Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb'. i1, 71921.v

of the box with a cap havin an aperture for the passage of the shaft; ig. 3 is an elevation of the cap shown in Fig. l with a dotted circle indicating the periphery of the aperture for the passage of the shaft, as shown cap. f

a'designates the body of the journal-box having a bore b forming a chamber to re-` c'eive a lining c to sustain a rset of anti-friction rolls d.

A head f is cast in one end of the box with bore e adapted for the passage of the shaft g fr om suoli journal-box to the opposite bearing of a countersliaft.

A set-screw collar 7L is shownI secured upon the shaft in proximity to the head f to prevent end movement of the shaft.

lt is customary tov employ a cage to embrace and guide the rolls in a roller-bearing, and cage-l'ieads z' are shown within the ends of the lining, one of which heads revolves in proximity to the plate 7c of the cap, which thus restrains end movement of therolls.

Z designates the peripheral flange which is bent laterally from the plate 7c and forced into the end of the bore b.- Thelength of the bore is made suiciently greater than the length of the lining to admit the entire width of the flange Z, which when 'forced into the bore stands flush or even with the end of the box.

To stili'en the plate and furnish a seat for the application of pressure when forcing it into the box, a web m is sloped from the plate /t adjacent to and upon the same side as the flange Z, kand formed with a central boss 7J.

In Fig. l this central boss is shown imperforate, so that the cap forms an absoin Fig. 2,' and Fig. 4 is an edge View of the lutely oiltigl`it closure to'one 'end of the box to retain the lubricant therein and exclude dust and dirt; n t' Such a tight joint is secured without any labor Vor cost.

llfhere it is necessary to extend the shaft beyond both ends of the box, the middle portion of the boss is open for the passage of the shaft as shown in Fig. 2., This aperture is located` whei'e the dotted line d is shown upon the cap in Fig. 3.,

l In such case, the cap closes the space o1' chamber occupied by therolls and thus prevente` the intrusion of dirt, and the platey Y: of the cap forms a seat which-restrai-ns the movement of the cage and roll-set toward that end of the box. The formation of this circular cap with a central boss gives it great stiffness and prevents any bending or deformity by accidental blows and the boss sustains all the pressure required to force the cap into the bore.

A very great economy in the manufacture of journal-boxes is effected by the use of this pressed sheet-metal cap, as it is formed byV the single operation of stamping, and can be fitted to the same bore as the lining of the box; so that nopreparation of the box is required to receive the cap.

Where the ordinary cast-metal caps are applied to such boxes, the end of the box requires to be faced off, which is not necessary with the use of the sheet-metal cap.

The cast-metal cap also requires to be faced off to make an oil-tight joint with the box, and is commonly attached thereto by tap-bolts which involves the drilling of the cap and the drilling and tapping of the box.

The cost of assembling and adjusting the parts of a cast-metal box to see if the bolts are properly fitted, and the joint is tight between the box and cap, is necessarily eliminated by the present invention. The end of the box where the cap is secured by tapbolts also requires facing off, which is not necessary with the internally fitted caps; and the cost of producing the box by this single improvement is reduced twenty-five to thirty-fiveper cent.

rI he cap thus operates, whether or not the shaft passes through it, to close that portion of the chamber in which the rolls rotate, thus protecting the rolls from dirt.

Where this invention is applied to journalboxes on countershafts the boxes are necessarily used in pairs, and all the end thrust can be sustained by screw-collars secured upon the countershaft against the outer ends of the boxes.

It is evident that the laterally bent flange Z is capable of springing or yielding more or less when pressed into the end of the box, and the flange thus enables the plate to exert a frictional grip upon the box, which could not be effected if a plain disk were used and the edge of such disk crowded into the box.

The invention is shown herein applied to a roller-bearing having a lining in the box, and by making the peripheral flange of the cap of the same size as the exterior of the lining the box can be made with a uniform bore throughout, thus saving the expense of making any special provision for tting the cap to the box.

The caps shown herein are readily pressed into the end of the box in a few seconds by a mandrel-press7 or analogous means; the

ment of. the cap.

For convenience, I have termed the peripheral flange of the cap a cylindrical flange, which itV would be to appearance even if expanded or tapered slightly to make it crowd into the box more readily.

It will be understood that the term cylindrical indicates the appearance of the cap and is used in this sense in the claims, and such language embraces a slight increase of diameter of the flange at its free edge.

The journal-box is not only reduced in cost by my invention but is also reduced in size, which makes it more desirable for many purposes.

The invention is shown applied to a box having the body a, made in one piece, but is applicable to box made in halves if the parts are tightly connected so as to hold the cap by a frictional engagement.

Solid rolls are shown in F ig. l; tubular rolls on one side of Fig. 2, and spirally wound rolls upon the opposite side of Fig. 2, the invention being applicable to a rollerbearing having any kind of (':ylindrica-l rolls.,

Having thus set forth the nature of the in vention what is claimed herein is:

l. A.' journal-box having a cylindrical chamber of uniform bore with a liiiing fitted therein, a set of anti-friction rolls fitted within the lining, and the end of the chamber closed by an elastic sheet-metal cap of L,

the same diameter as the exterior of the lining and forced into the chamber to the end of the said lining.

2. A journal-box having a cylindrical chamber of uniform bore extended. to the outer end of the box, a sheet-metal cap pressed into the end of the chamber, and a liniiiig fitted to the remainder of the chami ber, with a set of anti-friction rolls fitted inside the said lining.

A journal-box having a cylindrical chamber of uniform bore extended to the outer end of the box, a sheet-metal cap having a peripheral cylindrical flange adaptedA to crowd into the end of the chamber with its edge turned outwardly, and a central boss extendi'al outwardly within the" said flange into line with the outer edge of the flange, to sustain the thrust of forcing it into the end of the journahbox.

4. A journalbox having a cylindrical chamber of uniform bore extended to the outer end4 of the box, a sheet-metal cap having a peripheral cylindrical flange adapted to crowd into the end of the chamber and having a sloped web adjacent to the peripheral flange extended flush with the outer edge of such flange and supporting a central boss to sustain the thrust of forcing the cap into the end of the journal-box.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALMON J. PIERCE.

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